Cinderella's Happy Ending Made Possible
by isingforhim
Summary: When Cinderella became a Princess the decisions she made forever changed her life and that of Emma Swans. A speculative fan theory based on the events of Prince of Gold and Manhattan that explores Cinderella's deal and how her ultimate happy ending came about. Currently nominated for best fan theory in the Season 2 Once Upon A Fan Awards. Please vote!


In "The Price of Gold" Once Upon a Time fans were introduced to a young woman named Cinderella whose life is "wretched." She is a maid to her evil step-mother and two step-sisters. In order to attend a ball, Ella, as she is nicknamed, makes a deal with the Dark One. While she is at the Palace, Ella and Prince Thomas fall in love. They are soon married, and friends Prince Charming and Snow White congratulate her. Yet when her unborn child is requested as payment, Ella realizes she has been duped by Rumpelstiltskin. Prince Thomas is determined to keep the baby and proposes that they make a second deal.

Grumpy and Prince Charming approach Ella for help and send out a summons for the Dark One, stating that she must convince him that she is having twins, both of which she is willing to give up. However, after Rumpelstiltskin signs her contract, his powers become frozen. Charming is therefore able to cage him. Meanwhile, Thomas vanishes while he attempts to draw water from a well. This is because Ella broke her first deal to create another. The Dark One clearly states that her debt is greater than before, since she used magic to imprison him. She will only see her beloved husband after the debt is paid.

During the curse, Emma runs into Ashley, Ella's Storybrooke persona, in Granny's laundry room. She encourages her to prove herself to everyone who doubts her ability to be a single mother. The nineteen year old takes Emma's advice too far, and assaults Mr. Gold. Gold then approaches Emma concerning Ashley's actions, explaining that he doesn't want the young woman to go into labor in a jail cell.

In turn, Emma starts searching for the pregnant teen, stopping by her ex's house at Ruby's bequest. There his father confesses that he is keeping Ashley and Sean apart. In order to solve the problem of Ashley's pregnancy, he has instructed Ashley to sell her baby to Mr. Gold. Emma then finds Ashley near the town line and takes her to the hospital, where she gives birth to a baby girl named Alexandra. To prevent Gold from taking the newborn from her mother, Emma promises to fulfill an unnamed favor. Also notable is that Emma's presence in town allows Sean to visit his girlfriend and child in the hospital, as well as propose on Girl's Night in the episode "Skin Deep," two things that he otherwise would not have been able to do.

After the breaking of the curse, Emma, Gold, and Henry head off to the unmagical Kingdom of Manhattan. There, Emma runs into her ex-boyfriend, Neal Cassidy, and it is revealed that he is both Mr. Gold's son and Henry's father. Gold implores Emma to get Neal to talk to him in order for her to be debt free. Later, Neal gives Gold three minutes to speak to him. If he had not, Emma's deal with Gold would have been broken, perhaps resulting in her injury, or worse. Likewise, it seems Ashley would have had to choose between the baby and Sean. Based on Thomas' desire to do whatever it took to protect his wife and child, he would defend them or suggest to Ella that she be a mother to Alexandra without him. However, we are unsure if Gold would have taken the baby or allowed/caused something to happen to Sean.

When Ashley and Sean learn of Emma and Neal's actions, they will be relieved. The couple will know that they can both stay together and keep little Alexandra. Cinderella's happy ending should be seen as a notable event for fans of the show for two reasons: 1) Neal and Emma's relationship ultimately brought Ashley's family together, since Neal spoke to his father to defend Emma, and 2) Cinderella went to great lengths for Prince Charming, unknowingly putting herself and her family in danger. If not for Ella's actions, the Dark One may not have ended up in his cell. Therefore, we do not know if Emma's scroll would have been found in the "Queen of Hearts," and thereby making Emma and Snow's reunion with Charming and Henry possible.


End file.
